Metallurgical furnace.



B. ZOBEL.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. W7

1,285,883. 7 Patented Nov. 26,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IN VE IV TOR ATTORNEY B. ZOBEL.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED 020.11. 19:7.

1,285,883. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. ZOBEL. METALLURGICAL'FURNACE.

Patented Nov. 26, 19 18, 3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

lNl/k/VTOR 2% 625/ ha ATTORNEY UNITED STATES rn'rnn'r onr oa BRUNOZOBEL, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

Application filed December 17, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BRUNO ZoBEL, a subtion isnot limited in its use to the melting or preparation of such materialsonly.

My invention resides in furnace structure comprising means operable fromthe exterior for lowering or raising the crucible or fire pot within thefire chamber of the furnace; my invention resides further in coveringstructure for the fire chamber and crucible whereby the hot furnacegases are conducted in suitable paths exterior to the crucible forpurposes hereinafter described; my invention resides also in means forsupplying air blast to the furnace chamber; and my invention resides infurther features hereinafter described, including features of structureof grate and bottom members.

For an illustration of one of the various forms my invention may take,reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a furnace embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating means forholding the furnace bottom members in position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cover structure.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line C-D of Fig. 1, someparts shown I in bottom plan view.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal view on the line M-N, Fig. 1, some parts shownin'bottom plan view.

Fig. 6 i'sa horizontal sectional view on the line EF, Fig. .1, showingsome parts in bottom plan view.

Referring to the drawings, upon the L beamsor other suitable supports 1,1, Fig. 1, rests the base plate 2, of cast iron or any other suitablematerial.' Upon the plate 2 are supported the legs or brackets 3 onSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.-26, 1918.

Serial No. 207,402.

whose upper ends rests the ring member 4 having the circumferentialvertical flange 5 which surrounds the cylindrical fire chamber wall 6 offire clay or other suitable rcfractory material which rests upon thering a, the fire chamber 7 being open at its bottom, the opening in thering & registering with the opening in the bottom of the fire chamber 7Secured to the outside vertical surfaces of the brackets or legs 3 isthe vertically extending cylindrical metal shell 8 to the inside ofwhich are secured the ring shaped angle members 9 and 10 surrounding thefire chamber wall 6. Upon the horizontal portion of the upper angularring member 9 rests the circumferentially extending structure 11 of fireclay or other refractory material embracing the fire chamber wall 6.

Communicating with the annular space, suitably air tight for thepurpose, between the outer surface of the wall 6 and the inside of thecasing 8, is a series of holes 12 extending through the wall 6 in adirection substantially tangential to the annular space between the wall6 and member 8 andto the cylindrical fire chamber 7, as indicated inFig. 5. 12 are disposed at different heights, as ndicated in Fig. 1,whereby the holes are ar-] ranged helically with regard to the firechamber in order that the air blasts entering by the holes 12 will notall be directed at the same height or region into the fuel in the firechamber 7, nor will the air blasts be directed toward the center of thefire chamber, the; air by this construction being suitably distributedwithin the fire box. Air from the space between the members 6 and 8 alsopasses downwardly to the space below the grates 14 and upwardly throughthe grates into the fire chamber 7 Communicating with the annular airspace between the wall. 6 and the member '8 is the pipe or conduit 13which is connected to any source of air under pressure, for example, ablowertion, so as to retain the fuel within the fire chamber 7, areprovided the horizontally extending bars 20 extending through thebracket members 21 carried bythe casing 8 and supported at their otherends in the bracket members 22 carried by the casing E1. The gratemembers rest upon these horizontal bars and are so prevented fromswinging downwardly upon their pivots 17 and 18. lVith the grate bars intheir horizontal posi tion, semi-circular openings therein are disposedopposite each other to form a substantially circular opening throughwhich at tends the member 23, of refractory material. such as fire brickor fire clay, upon which is adapted to rest the fire pot or crucible 24:indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l. The member 23 sets in the flangedplate 25 which in turn rests upon the upper end of the column 26, a ballor roller bearing 27 intervening between the member 25 and the upper endof the column 26, whereby the latter may rotate with respect to theformer.

The column 26 extends downwardly through an opening formed in andbetween the false bottom plates 28 and 29, each Sui? stantiallysemi-circular in form and pivoted respectively, at 30 and 31 to the baseplate 2. These bottom plate members 28 and 29 are provided ith marginalupwardly extending flanges to form these members into shallowreceptacles which may catch and retain any molten metal dropping fromthe furnace chamber 7 through the grates, as in case oi breakage of thepot or crucible2l.

The bottom plate member 28, as seen in Fig. 1, has a lip or projection82 upon which may rest the free end of the bottom plate member 29. Eachof the members 28 and 29 is provided with an outwardly extending angleiron projection 33 with the outer end of each of which, as more clearlyshown in Fig. 2, engages a ring 3stattached to the bar 85, which isscrew threaded at its upper end into the turn buckle 36, which is inturn threaded to the bar 37 having an opening which receives the hook 38secured to the casing member 8, the members 37 having the handles 39 bymeans of which the mem here 28 and 29 may be swung upwardly upon theirpivots to nearly their final positions, whereupon the members 37 areengaged with the hooks 38. Then by turning the turn buckles 36, or byactuating equivalent force multiplying devices, the members 33 may befurther drawn upwardly to carry the members 2S and 29 to their finalhorizontal positions indicated.

The column 26 is provided with the screw thread t0 with which engagesthe nut 4.1 carried by the transversely extending beam members 42carried at their ends in the brackets 43 which are secured at theirupper ends to the under side of the base plate 2.

On the column 26 is a shoulder at which limits the downward travel ofthe column 26, which latter is provided with holes 45 through which maybe thrust bars serving as wrenches for rotating the column 26, causingit to descend or rise thereby carrying downwardly or raising the block23 and the crucible resting thereon, the block 23 and crucible 2-lpartaking only of vertical movement, because of the bearing 27, whichallows the block 23 and crucible 24:, due to friction thereon of thefuel in the chamber 7, to remain stationary so far as regards rotarymotion, while the column 26 is rotated to cause its elevation ordepression, due to the screw threads etO in cooperation with the nut-11.

For covering or closing the fire chamber 7, there is provided the memberto. of suitable refractory material, as fire clay or fire brick or thelike, suitably incased by the sheet metal t7 and held within the threepart hoop 48, whose segments are clamped together by bolts 49, to whichare attached shackles adapted to receive hooks at tached to any liftingmeans, such as a crane, the cover merely resting upon the top of thefurnace structure 6. The member a6 has hie circular opening 51, ithwhich communicate a plurality of outwardly radiating and outwardlywidening horizontal passages 52 con'nnunicating at their outer ends withdownwardly extending passages 53 communicating with the top of the firechamber 7. The circular refractory member 54- rests upon the member 16and has at its center a conical or tapering opening 55 whose lower endregisters with the aforementioned opening 51.

lVith the crucible 2st in the position indicated in Fig. 1 its upperedge is close to or in contactwith the lower portion 56 of the member46, the crucible cover member 56 having an aperture 57 in alinement withthe apertures 55 and 51, the aperture 57 communicating with the interiorof the crucible 2t.

With the parts in the positions illustrated in F 1, and the fire chamber7 being charged with burning fuel and blasted by air received throughthe pipe 13, hot gases pass upwardly through the openings 53 and overthe member 56 into the apertures 51 and 55. The metal to be treated maybe thrown in pieces into the opening 55, wherein they may become lodged.due to their size and. the taper of the aperture, and the hot gasespassing upwardly as described through the passages 53 and 52, willstrike these pieces of metal which, finally melting, drop down throughthe aperture 57 into the crucible 24-, within which they are furthermelted along with any pieces which may have been small enough to dropthrough the aperture 57.

The passages 52 are preferably substantially horizontal, that is,neither pointing downwardly into the crucible nor pointing upwardly intothe outlet passage 55, because if pointing downwardly into or toward theinterior of the crucible too severe a heating effect would in some casesbe produced in the crucible resulting, for example, in oxidation of themetal or some component of an alloy; and on the other hand, if pointingupwardly the heat would more readily be discharged from the furnacewithout producing sufiicient heating effect.

At any desirable or suitable stage of the firing the crucible 24 may belowered, by operating the column 26 as hereinbefore, described,whereupon its upper edge will be separated from the member 56, allowingpassage for hot gases from the fire chamber 7 over the upper edge of thecrucible 2% to the passage 57, in which position the material within thecrucible 24 will be further heated.

WVhen the operation is completed, the cover structure may be removed andmolten metal removed from the crucible 24 in ladles; or the crucible orpot containing the molten {petal may be removed from the fire cham- WhatI claim is:

1. The combination with a furnace having a fire chamber, of a gratestructure, a bottom structure beneath said grate, and force multiplyingmeans for moving said bottom structure to normal position.

2. The combination with a furnace having a fire chamber, of a gratestructure, a bottom structure beneath said grate, said bottom structurecomprising cooperating pivoted members, means for moving said membersupon their pivots to near their final positions, and force multiplyingmeans for moving said members to their final positions.

3. The combination with a furnace having a fire chamber, of a member ofrefractory material upon which a crucible may rest, a plate supportingsaid member, a vertically movable member supporting said plate, saidplate having a rotary bearing on said vertically movable member.

4:. The combination with a furnace having a fire chamber, of a cruciblesupporting member, bottom structure disposed beneath said fire chamberand having an aperture, means movable vertically in said aperture formoving said crucible supporting member vertically, upwardly turnedflange structure surrounding said aperture and said bottom structure,whereby molten material passing from said fire chamber is held by saidbottom structure and prevented from contact ing with said verticallymovable means.

5. The combination with a furnace having a fire chamber, of a coverstructure having an aperture, a part of said cover structureconstituting a crucible cover, said cover structure having passagescommunicating with said fire chamber and extending over said cruciblecover and terminating in horizontal portions where they open into saidaperture, said crucible cover having an aperture communicating with saidfirst named aperture and with the interior of said crucible.

6. The combination with a furnace body forming a fire chamber, of acasing surrounding and spaced from said furnace body, means fordelivering air under pressure into the space between said furnace bodyand said casing, said furnace body having apertures circumferentiallyspaced and disposed at progressively increasing heights in helicalseries for delivering air from said space into said fire chamber.

7. The combination with a furnace body having a fire chamber, of acasing surrounding and spaced from said furnace body, means fordelivering air in an inclined direction into said space, said furnacebody having a plurality of air passages extending substantiallytangentially from said space into said fire chamber.

8. The combination with a furnace body having a fire chamber, of acasing surrounding and spaced from said furnace body, means fordelivering air in an inclined direction into said space, said furnacebody having a plurality of air passages extending substantiallytangentially from said space into said fire chamber, said passages beingspaced circumferentially and disposed at progressively increasingheights.

9. The combination with a furnace body forming a fire chamber, of acasing surrounding and spaced from said furnace body, means fordelivering air under pressure into the space between said furnace bodyand said casing, a grate, said furnace body having a plurality of airpassages above its lower end delivering air from said space into saidfire chamber above said grate, said casing extending below said grate,and a movable bottom structure below said grate and surrounded by saidcasing for forming a substantially closed chamber beneath said grate,said chamber communicating with said space, whereby air enters said firechamber through said grate.

10. A crucible furnace having a fire chamber, a grate structure thereforhaving an aperture, a member movable vertically in said aperture andadapted to support a crucible, a plate member supporting said member,and a vertically movable member sup- BRUNO ZOBEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

